Dental Tips for Pregnant Women

Are you expecting a child here in Waterloo, ON? If so, congratulations on the new addition to your family! Having a child is both exhilarating and a challenge. Not only are you expected to develop healthier habits, but your obstetrician may have you on certain medications, or you may be experiencing the typical side effects of pregnancy (such as pains, cravings, or hormonal imbalance).

With so many things to keep track of, it’s not unusual for your dental health to get left behind. However, it really shouldn’t be, and at Dr. K. Ashraf, we have a few tips for our expectant mother patients who are in need of dental care.

First Trimester

Once it’s confirmed that you are pregnant, be sure to let us or your main dental provider know. This way, we can schedule you for more frequent cleanings and postpone any extensive dental work that needs to be done. Some dental insurance providers will even cover extra cleanings during your pregnancy, so contact your provider to see if you qualify.

One of the worst things that pregnant women go through is morning sickness. But all that sickness can also affect your already sensitive teeth. Use a flavorless toothpaste and frequently rinse your mouth so the stomach acids don’t erode your enamel. Some patients have found that a smaller toothbrush helps too.

Second Trimester

This stage is when the cravings start to hit hard. But like with lots of favorite foods, there can be too much of a good thing. If you’re craving sugary foods, try to substitute them with healthier options. For example, if it’s strawberry pie you want, try a bowl of strawberries instead.

Due to hormonal imbalances and other factors of your pregnancy, there’s a higher risk of contracting Pregnancy Gingivitis (sensitive or inflamed gums), and Pregnancy Granuloma. The pregnancy granuloma appear as red or purple bumps in the mouth, and are harmless. During your check-ups, we’ll screen you for these as well, to keep an eye on them throughout your pregnancy.

Third Trimester

The last six weeks of your pregnancy are especially crucial, so it’s advised that avoid all dental treatments until after your baby is born. In the meantime, keep up the good work at home – brushing, flossing, rinsing, and more. If you need any tips on how to better care for your teeth during this final stage, feel free to contact us or schedule a consultation with Dr. Ashraf.

Post-Partum and Nursing

After your baby is born, schedule an appointment with us or your dentist to check-up on your oral health. If you’re due for extensive dental treatment, they will be scheduled for this time or begin treatment after your baby is born. Also, keep in mind that x-rays, local anesthesia, and nitrous oxide (laughing gas) are safe to use if you breastfeed your baby. However, if you have mercury fillings, be sure to let us know and have them removed. It’s possible for the mercury to travel through to the breast milk.

Healthy Habits for Pregnant Patients

At Dr. K. Ashraf, your dental care provider in Waterloo, ON, we treat each and every patient like family, including our pregnant patients. We have many dental care treatments, from dental implants to aesthetic dentistry, and we would be happy to treat you once it’s safe for you to do so after having your baby. Feel free to contact us for more tips and information, or schedule a consultation with Dr. Ashraf to schedule post-partum dental procedures.

During this difficult time, we are trying to do our part during the COVID-19 crisis. We are continuing to see patients with dentofacial emergencies. This means as one of the few practices remaining open during this pandemic, we are treating patients with emergencies from our fellow dental colleagues, in the Waterloo and Wellington regions (Waterloo-Kitchener-Cambridge and Guelph and surrounding townships)
We hope to assist and help as many people as we can. We also hope this will reduce the number of patients that are visiting hospitals that can be treated by us, thus freeing up time and room for the hospitals and slowing the spread of this virus.
Some additional steps our practice has taken to slow down the spread of the virus and "flatten the curve" are:
- Sanitation of common areas such as the front entry doors and the waiting room in between every patient
- Appointments are spread out so that the waiting area only has one patient at a time
- All front desk staff are wearing masks
- State of the art air purifiers (Surgically Clean Air Units x5 in total)
- Patients receive gloves upon entering the clinic
And of course we have all required PPE protocol set as a standard by the Royal College of Dental Surgeons and the Province of Ontario.
During this time we all need to help each other and do our part, only then can we pull through this quicker and return to a more happy, thankful and prosperous society.
Wishing you all the best of health,
From our family to yours.